In Memoriam: Dr A.J. Powell

The sports turf community has a heavy heart this week with the sudden passing of Dr. A. J. Powell.

Click HERE for a link from the Sports Turf Manager's Association to learn more about Dr Powell.

I had the opportunity to present at the KYSTMA in May of this year with Dr. Powell.  He was a true professional.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Kentucky Bluegrass and Riviera Bermudagrass Soccer Fields

Below are a couple photos of Kentucky bluegrass and Riviera bermudagrass soccer fields in Westfield, IN.

The photos were taken today, October 28.

Bluegrass:

Bermudagrass:

A photo of the two fields with the bermudagrass in the background:

Why both bluegrass and bermudagrass at the same park?  Simply, to have the best of both worlds in that during the summer months heavy play will be on the warm season turf and in the cooler spring and fall months heavier play will take place on the cool season fields.

The dormant bermudagrass will receive little to no play when the turf in dormant.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Patriot Bermudagrass Update - Late October

The month of October has been cool across the Midwest.  Due to this fact, bermudagrass is now turning dormant across the area.  Here are a couple of photos from St Luke Catholic Church and their stand of Patriot bermudagrass.

October 26, 2013:

As you can see, the field is dormant and play has concluded for 2013.  The bermudagrass through the hashmarks is a bit torn up, but there is still plenty of bermudagrass there to green up and fill in next summer.  Why the green square in the bottom photo?  The area that is still green was sodded with Kentucky bluegrass late this fall after damage was done to the area.  As you can see, the area is still green, but the bluegrass has thinned greatly this fall.

Is bermuda an option in the upper Midwest?  Yes, but the entire growing season must be considered as well as the amount of play during the season.  At St Luke, the next heavy play will take place during the summer of 2014.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Amending an Infield - Can You Amend a Column of Infield Mix?

The short answer is, yes!  Below is a photo provided by Wes Ganobcik, Head Groundskeeper of the Columbus Clippers, Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

As you can see, the top 3 inches of the infield mix profile is a homogenous blend of an amended infield and the bottom 3 inches is the original infield mix that was installed during construction and has not been amended.

How did this happen?

Starting in 2010, Wes began adding a combination of FieldSaver Infield Amendment and Dura Edge Pro Infield Mix.  No existing infield mix was removed during this process.  Currently, the infield mix falls within the professional gradation range and has performed at a high level.

To see an earlier post from this facility in regards to adding amendments and infield mix, click HERE.

To see an earlier post in regards to adding FieldSaver to an infield, click HERE.

Thanks again to Wes for sharing this photo.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Stay Off Frost Covered Turf

Many areas around the country are experiencing unseasonably cool/cold temperatures this week.  This is a reminder to stay off frost covered turf.  Below is what many turf areas looked like across the midwest early this morning.

For additional information in regards to frost covered turf, click HERE for a publication from the University of Nebraska.  Click HERE for a publication from Ohio State University

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Late Fall Fertilization of Athletic Fields

With cooler weather approaching the area, it is time to discuss late season fertilizer applications.  Why is it beneficial?  When should it be applied?  Click HERE to see a Turf Tip from Dr. Aaron Patton from Purdue University.  Will you be applying late fall fertilizer to your athletic fields?

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Urban Youth Academy - Mid October Photos

A mid October update from the Reds Urban Youth Academy in Cincinnati, OH.

Here are 2 aerials from mid-Oct:

The synthetic infield is now complete, and the grow-in of the bluegrass surfaces continue.  Check back for additional updates.

To see the original post from this project, click HERE.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Update from Fountain Central and Western Boone

I made a stop at both Western Boone High School and Fountain Central High School today.  This is a tale of two fields, both renovated early in 2013.

First, Western Boone (WEBO) and the newly sodded Kentucky bluegrass surface.  Here are two photos from the middle of the field:

The next photos are from Fountain Central and the newly seeded Riviera bermudagrass overseeded with perennial ryegrass.  Here are two photos from FC:

To learn more from the project at WEBO, click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

To learn more about the project at Fountain Central, click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Do you think bluegrass or bermudagrass is the best option for fall use fields in the Midwest?

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Be Careful with Glyphosate Sprays on Baseball and Softball Infields and Warning Tracks

Many baseball and softball facilities take a back seat in late summer and early fall as fall sports take priority at the high school and recreational levels.  Many times, the ground staff will apply glyphosate to kill/control unwanted weeds and grasses on infields and warning tracks.  Bottom line, if the decision is made to apply these products be VERY CAREFUL with the application.  Here are what infield edges looked like at a high school I visited this week:

Needless to say, these edges have been severely damaged.  Sod will need to be installed to re-set the edges.  To avoid this, consider a couple options:

1.  Drag infields and warning tracks 2-3 times per week and edge fields at least once a month
2.  Apply Sureguard after play to limit weed population.  Click HERE to learn more about this process

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Ground Ivy - A Tough Weed to Control in Turf

I was at a high school baseball field today and was posed this question, "What is that?  It is starting to take over."

The answer, is ground ivy.  This weed is difficult to control.  To learn more about ground ivy and how to control this weed, click HERE for an article from Purdue University published by Dr Zac Reicher in 2009.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

How Late in the Fall Can I Install Kentucky Bluegrass Sod?

This is a question I get posed to me frequently this time of year.  The short answer?  As long as the ground is not frozen and sod can be harvested and installed without damaging the rootzone.

HERE is a link from a sod project the SmartTurf team completed at Indiana State in late November 2011.  HERE is a link showing what the field looked like the next spring during a warning track installation.

Keep in mind that 100% bluegrass will be slow to green up in the spring, so keep traffic to a minimum if possible.  Also, even though sod can be installed late into the fall, do not delay in completing fall renovation/construction projects.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie

Fall is a Great Time to Work on Baseball and Softball Infields

Fall is a great time to work on baseball and softball infields. In the fall the weather is drier, infield mix is dry and fields are under less pressure of field use than in the spring  Due to this fact, I wanted to re-post a couple posts on infield mix work.  

Click HERE to see a post in regards to adding Dura Edge Pro to Parkview Field.

Click HERE for a post explaining how to add new infield mix to an existing infield.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer

Urban Youth Academy Aerials - Cincinnati

The SmartTurf team has spent a few weeks in Cincinnati assisting in the field construction component of the P&G, Cincinnati Reds, and MLB Urban Youth Academy.  This 4 field complex is located at Roselawn Park in Cincinnati, OH.

The project began on July 10, 2013.  Below are a few aerials of the progress thanks to Kokosing Construction Company, Inc.

Early July 2013 - Pre Construction

Late July 2013

Early August 2013

Late August 2013

Early September 2013

 Mid September

Look for additional photos and progress updates this fall as this project moves forward.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer